Monday, November 25, 2013

Giving Thanks: Pumpkin and Spice and Everything Nice



My favorite time of year is the fall; brilliant with color and my favorite holidays. Louise likes spring best, when buds are bursting forth and leaves sprout to grow to their full potential. This unity of sorts also shares our outlook and our future. We are pleased to announce that after ten years of work and play together, we will be married on Nov. 30, Thanksgiving weekend.

This exciting new step of “making it official,” comes with years of blessings and friendships. We are fortunate that our lives are full of creativity and opportunity in the licensing business. Louise’s PR skills dovetail nicely with my art and believe me, I couldn’t be building Tails of Whimsy without her marketing know-how. She is also a designer and artist, but more than that, a committed partner that understands what it means to live with one!
  
While she fills our home with things like pumpkin spice candles, flowers, and gourds, I draw by the fireplace or read books and digital content to keep my ideas flowing. We share our thoughts on current topics and laugh a lot.  She loves my cornball humor and actually thinks my jokes and word play are funny!

Tails of Whimsy has brought us adventure and great friendships. We have sought and found talent to help us throughout the country and world that inspire us in our quest to brand “The Art of Daryl Slaton.” Some special thanks go to:

Jeanette Smith of All Art Licensing who is our book agent for the BrokenHeart Pets.  Known as J’net, this bundle of energy keeps us focused on success. We are reminded that she built Dilbert into a $200 million brand and she believes that I can travel a similar road with books and branding product for retail markets. J’net will be the Official Art and Design Blogger for the Design section of the International Licensing Expo in Las Vegas in 2014. This is a really BIG DEAL and the first time that show planners Advanstar have embarked on such a strategy.  This brings opportunities to her clients as well and we are thrilled to have her as our consultant, coach, confidante and friend.   
J'Net

And then, there is the Licensing Expo itself where I found my “audience,” other business professionals who were drawn to my characters and stories for publishing, animation and products. They respected my ability to create so much so quickly, a tribute to vast years of experience meeting client demands and deadlines. Getting to know Kelli Couchee, show manager who “found “me and my work at the Surtex Show in NY in May was the icing on our cake. She gave us the confidence and a choice booth location to do a quick turnaround and show in Vegas in June. An exhibition hall full of hundreds of booths from Disney and Nickelodeon to Ford Motors and Coca-Cola, powerful licensors with known brands, was truly daunting. Kelli had the foresight to convince us that licensees also seek out new properties to fill voids in their lines and that my work would be acknowledged.  Everyone is looking for the new “Angry Birds,” and my twist on characters and stories has brought lots of interest and new deals to consider.

This Thanksgiving, we give special thanks to our friends and the fullness of our lives. And, our love to you, our loyal followers that found us “early” on social media. We appreciate each of you and hope that you will share our characters and quirky worldview with friends and family this holiday and throughout the coming year. Blessings to all of you!
 

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Holiday Card Giveaway!





Enter to Win Our Holiday Card Giveaway!

Tails of Whimsy is getting into the holiday spirit in a BIG way. You've seen our State Santa Collection and Christmas art; we hope you're inspired by these festive designs. We want to share the excitement with our online fans, and give you a chance to send a bit of whimsy in the mail to your loved ones this year.

We teamed up with PrintFirm.com, a professional printing company, to offer a special free contest for our wonderful friends like you just in time for the season. One lucky winner will receive 250 greeting cards featuring Daryl's most popular piece of Christmas art, Santa's elf riding a polar bear! To enter, please read the guidelines below.

How to Enter

We know you're eager to spread holiday cheer, so enter through the widget below! There are many ways to enter—the more points you earn, the higher your chances of winning the prize. All participants must leave a comment on this blog post telling us why they want to win. You'll get another 5 points for liking Tails of Whimsy on Facebook or following us on Twitter. If you're already a Facebook fan, don't worry, we won't leave you out. You're still entitled to 5 points along with any new fans. You can also get bonus points for connecting with PrintFirm through social media, too. What are you waiting for? Enter below!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Prize Details

250 4" x 6" Folded Greeting Cards with Glossy Coating on the Front Designed by Daryl Slaton
250 blank envelopes
Complementary Shipping Included
Approximate Prize Value $200

Greeting Card Giveaway Rules

·         Contest begins on November 13th, 2013 and ends on November 27th, 2013 at 12pm PST.
·         1 winner will be chosen at random through Random.org.
·         Sorry, no design substitutions
·         You must be 18 years or older to enter. Kids, please have your parents enter for you.
·         The contest is limited to US residents only.
·         The winner will be notified via email. He or she must respond within 48 hours or another winner will be chosen! (Please note: PrintFirm will be closed Thursday and Friday for Thanksgiving. If you do not reply to the email on the 27th, PrintFirm will respond the following Monday.)
·         Winner must provide a valid mailing address. Sorry, no PO Boxes.

Good Luck!